Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-24
INDUSTRY AND POLITICS
THE PLATFORM OF THE CINCIN-
MATT CONVENTION.

character of the Assembly and Its Aims
Set Forth in the Preamb' e-Voters
Urged to Withdraw from tho Ranks of
the Old Parties and Join the New
One.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 23.--The Labor Con-
vention spent the day listening to
speeches and communications on all
sorts of ubiects related bv any way to
labor interests, to fill in the time until the
platform shall be prepared. One delegate
spoke upon the wrongs OF the intending
Oklahoma settlers.
Following is the platform:
PREAMBLE.
Delegates of various industrial and reform
political organizations have assembled from
thirty-one States and Territories on this an
niversary Of the birth OF ''the father of his
country to view the situation of pubic ar
fairs and advise proper action. General dis
content prevails on the part OF the wealth.
producers. Farmers are suffering from power
ty which has forced most of them to mortgage
their estates, and the prices OF products are
so low as to offer no relief except through
bankruptcy. Laborers are sinking into
greater and greater dependence. Strikes are
resorted to without bringing rehef because
of the inability of the employers in many
cases to pay living wages, while more
and more are driven into the streets.
Business men find collections almost
Impossible. meantime nunureuS Oh UllllOub
of idle public money. which is needed for re-
lief, is locked up in the United States Treas
ury in grim mockery of the distress. Land
monopoly fourishes as never before, and
more ard more the owners of soil are daily
becoming tenants. The great transportation
corporations still succeed in eX
torting their profits upon watered stock,
through unjust charges. The United States
Senate has become an open scandal, Its seats
being purchased by the rich in open defiance
OF the popular will. trifing fisheries die
pute is seized upon as an excuse for squander-
ing public money upon unnecessary military
preparations, which are designed to breed
| spirit of war, to ape European deepotsm and
to empty the treasury without paying the
| public debt
Under these and other alarming conditions
we appeal TO the people Of the whole country
| to come out of the old party organizations,
whose indifference to the public welfare 1s
responsible for this distress, and help us TO
organize new political party, not sectional.
but national. whose members shall he called
Commoners. whose object shall be to repeal
ali cass'laws in favor Of the rich and to re-
Ieve the distress of our industries by estab-
lshlng the following principles;
LAND.
Every human being possesses a natural,
inalienable right to sufficient land for self
support, and we desire TO secure to every in
dustrlous citizen a home as the highest result
of free institutions. To this end we demand
graduated land tax on all large estates, es-
peclally those held for speculative or tenant
purposes, reclamation of all unearned land
grants, immediate opening of Oklahoma
to homestead settlement, purchase OF all
unoccupied Indian lands and settlement of
various tribes upon lands in seyeralty; also
laws preventing corporations from acquiring
real estate beyoud the requirements of
their business. and alien ownership of land.
Systems of irrigation in the States and Terri
tories where necessary shall be under such
public control as shall secure free and equita-
BILE use of the waters and franchise to the
people.
2-TRANSPORTATION
Means of communication and transporta-
tion should be owned or controlled by the
people, as is the United States postal system,
and equitable rates everywhere established.
3-MoNEY.
We favor the establishment of a national
monetary system IN the interest of the pro-
Queer instead OF the .speculator and usurer,
by which the circulating medium in neces-
sary quantities aud full legal tender shall be
issued directly to the people without the in
tervention of banks, or loaned to citizens
upon ample security at a low rate of interest
to relieve them from the eXtortons of
usury and enable them to control the
money supply. Postal savings banks should
De established. While we have free coinage
of gold we should have free coinage of silver.
We demand prompt payment of the national
debt and condemn further issue of interest
bearing bonds, either by the national govern
ment or by the States, Territories, counties
or municipalities.
4-LABOR,
Arbitration should take the place Of strikes
and other INJURIOUS me hods of settling labor
disputes; letting of convict labor to CONTRACT
tors be prohibited, and contracts be abol-
ished in public work. The hours of labor in
industrial establishments should he reduced
commensurate with the increase of production
In labor saving machinery; employees prOtec-
ted from bodily injury, equal pay being given
for equal work for both sexes, and labor agri-
| cultural and cooperative assocl atlOn5 be fOs-
tered and Incorporated by law. The founda-
| tion of the republic is the intelligence of its
| citizens, and children who are driven into
| workshops. mines and factories are deprived
| of the education which should be secured to
| all by proper legislation. We desire TO see
| labor organizations extend throughout civil
| lied countries until it shall be impossible for
despots to array the w0rs ingmen of one coun-
| try in war against their brothers of another
| country.
6--sOLDIERS AND SAILORS.
In appreciation of the services of the United
States soldiers and sailors we demand for
them justice before charity. The purposely
| deprecated money paid them during the war
| should be made equal in value to the gold
| paid the bondholder. The soldier was prom
| ised coin or its equivalent, and was paid in
| deprecated paper. Tho bondholder loaned
| the government deprecated paper and con-
| tracted to take it back, but was paid III gold.
| 6-INCoME TAX.
A graduated income tax is the most equita-
| BILE system of taxation, placing the burden of
| government on those who can best afford to
| ducers and exempting millionaire bondhold-
ers and corporations.
7-THR UNITED STATES SENATE.
The capture OF the United States Senate by
millionalres and the tools of corporations,
| who have no sympathy with free institutions,
| threatens the very existence Of the Republic
We demand a constitutional amendment
making United States Senators elected by a
| direct vote of the people.
S-THE CHINESE.
State and national laws should be passed as
shall efectually exclude from America the
| Monaghan slave and Asiatc competition.
| EARNED MEN.
The employment of bodies of armed men by
private corporations should be prohibi
10-EQUALITY.
The right TO vote is inherent in citizenship,
irrespective Of sex.
11-TEMPERANCE.
Excessive wealth, resulting in luxury and
| idleness on one hand and excessive toll and
| poverty on the other, lead TO aintemper-
| ance and vice The measures of reform here
demanded will prove to be the scientific solu-
a.. b..f